Threaded earcup suspension system

ABSTRACT

An earcup suspension for a full coverage protective helmet makes use of a ball and socket between a rigid head contacting earcup and an adjustable assembly attached to the helmet shell. The adjustable assembly is manipulated by a knob on the exterior of the helmet shell which has a threaded engagement with a stud to which the ball is connected. Because the stud is secured to prevent rotation, it is moved inwardly or outwardly by rotation of the knob so as to adjust the snugness of the fit of the rigid earcup with respect to the wearer&#39;&#39;s head.

United States Patent [1 1 Devaney et al.

[ Nov. 11, 1975 THREADED EARCUP SUSPENSION SYSTEM [73] Assignee: SierraEngineering Co., Sierra Madre, Calif.

[22 Filed: Jan. 22, 1975 21 Appl. No.: 543,132

[52] US. Cl. 2/209; 2/6; 179/156 [51] Int. CI. A42B l/06 [58] Field ofSearch 2/209, 6, 8; 179/156 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,858,544 11/1958 Roth 2/209 3,148,376 9/1964 Aileo 2/209 X 3,864,7562/l975 Desimone 2/6 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 555,101 8/1922France .f. 179/156 286,081 2/l927 United Kingdom l79/l56 1.158.4957/1969 United Kingdom 2/6 1,052,565 9/1953 France 179/156 PIT/1101')E.\'aminer-Werner H. Schroeder Assistant Eraminer-Peter Nerbun [57ABSTRACT An earcup suspension for a full coverage protective helmetmakes use of a ball and socket between a rigid head contacting earcupand an adjustable assembly attached to the helmet shell..The adjustableassembly is manipulated by a knob on the exterior of the helmet shellwhich has a threaded engagement with a stud to which the ball isconnected. Because the stud is secured to prevent rotation, it is movedinwardly or outwardly by rotation of the knob so as to adjust thesnugness of the fit of the rigid earcup with respect to the wearershead.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 3,918,098

THREADED EARCUP SUSPENSION SYSTEM The comfort of fit of earcups within aflyers protective helmet is very important to his efficiency.Communication by way of the earcups is clearly of vital importance.Normally the position and snugness of earcups is initially adjusted toan individual users use before the helmet is donned, although someattempts have been made to build into the earcup mounting a degree ofadjustability subsequent to donning. Those expedients heretoforeavailable have had limited applicability and also have lacked the properdegree of universal adjustment. it is, moreover, especially advantageousto have earcups so constructed and fitted to the users head thatexterior noises canbe effectively insulated from the users ears.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new andimproved earcup suspension system which provides a positive means forpositioning noise attenuating earcups in a full coverage protective he]-met with full adjustability by the user while the helmet is worn. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved earcupsuspension system which can be simply and readily manipulated byadjusting knobs or buttons on the exterior of the helmet shell using onehand only, whereby both the pressure of theearcup against the usersheadand the location of the earcup with respect to the helmet shellcanbe quickly and readily adjusted.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedearcup suspension system, the construction and adjustability of which issuch as to make possible effective noise attenuation when adjusted tothe users head.

Still further among the objects of the invention is to provide a new andimproved earcup suspension system which is simple and compact with partsconcentrically located, making installation and adjustment positive anddependable under virtually all conditions.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of thedevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter setforth, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the earcup suspension systemmounted in a helmet shell;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cushion between therigid earcup and the shell;

FIG. 3 is an outside elevational view on line 3-3 FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose ofillustration, there is shown an earcup suspension system indicatedgenerally by the reference character mounted upon a helmet shell 11. Arelatively rigid earcup 12 has an open side 13 adapted to engage theface of the user and a closed side 14. Centerably disposed on the closedside is a socket 15 formed from the material of the earcup in which aball 16 is mounted to provide universal movement for the earcup. Aretainer 17 overlies the ball 16 to hold it in the socket 15, and theretainer is attached to the earcup by suitable rivets l8.

In the form of the device chosen for illustrative purposes, the ball 16is mounted on the end of a stud 19, and the stud in turn is retainedwithin a bore 20 of a threaded shaft 21. More particularly thereareprovided notches 22 in the threaded shaft for retention by a spring clip23. The threaded shaft 21 threadably engages a threaded sleeve 25 whichis part of an adjusting For mounting the parts just described inposition on the helmet shell, use is made of an arrangement which 'maybe appropriately referred to as alocking assembly consisting of alocking collar on the outside of the shell, a flange 31 on the inside,and an exteriorly threaded skirt 32. Awasher 33 lies between the flange31 and the inside surface 34 of the-shell. For appropriately positioningthe stud there is provided a shaft retainer plate 35 which is attachedto the flange 31 by means of rivet 36. The threaded shaft 21 extendsthrough a hole 37 in the shaft retainer plate 35. A lock finger 38protrudes into a pocket 39 to prevent rotation of the flange and itsthreaded skirt when the locking collar is rotatably engaged .with thethreads 40.

v A retaining ring 41 sitting in. an appropriate recess in the threadedsleeve 25holds the threaded sleeve and, accordingly, the adjustable knobin place within a central aperture 42 in the threaded skirt32. A snapring 43 which overrides a washer 44 serves to prevent the locking collar30 from being rotated to engage with the adjusting knob 26. The washer44-is used for accommodation of the mechanism to various sizes of helmetshells.

To complete the assembly there is provided a foam pad 45 of appreciablethickness which separates the earcup 12 from the inside surface of theshell 11. A central hole 46 in the foam pad 45 accommodates appropriateportions of the locking assembly, and a counter sink 47 is adapted toreceive the flange 31 and washer 33 so that they are flush with theoutside surface 48 of the foam pad in the fully retracted position.

In operation with the locking collar loosened and the adjusting knobrotated to a withdrawn position for the earcup 12, the helmet is donnedand the earcup placed over the ear. Tilting is allowed for by reason ofthe employment of the ball and socket joint. When the earcup is not inproper position with respect to the ear itself, the locking assembly,and hence the earcup l2 and the foam pad as well, can be moved aboutbecause of there being provided an opening 50 in the helmet shell 11which is substantially greater in diameter than the outside diameter ofthe threaded skirt 32 which extends through it when the earcup has thusbeen shifted to a desired position. The locking collar 30 is thenrotated with respect to the threads 40, and the locking assemblyexemplified by the flange 31 is drawn against the inside surface of theshell as the locking collar is screwed down against the outside surface,thereby to fasten the locking assembly to the shell and, accordingly,fix the position of the earcup.

Since normally the earcup would be withdrawn away from the head of thewearer to its farthest position during this initial adjustment, theearcup then can be moved toward the head of the wearer until a rim 51 ofthe earcup bears against the wearers face by rotation of the adjustingknob 26. As the knob is rotated, the threads on the threaded sleeve 25engage the threaded shaft 21, and by rotation in the proper directionthe threaded shaft 21, the stud 19, and therefore also the ball andsocket joint are moved in a direction from left to right, as viewed inHO. 1, which serves to move the ,carcup in a corresponding directiontowards the face of toward the rear of the helmet will retract theearcups toward the helmet shell.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support ofLetters Patent is:

l 1. An adjustable earcup suspension for mounting on a protective helmetshell comprising an earcup having one joint member of a universal jointdisposed therein, a threaded stud including the other joint member ofsaid joint, fastening means holding said joint members in operatingassociation, said shell having a clearance recess in axial alignmentwith said earcup, a locking assembly having one element overlying theinterior of the shell, a connecting section of cross-sectional sizesmaller than said recess extending through said recess and anotherelement of said assembly overlying the exterior of the shell inadjustable engagement with said connecting section for adjustably fixingthe position of the earcup relative to the center of the recess, anadjusting knob rotatably mounted on the exterior of the locking assemblyand a threaded connection between the adjusting knob and said supportingstud whereby to adjustably shift the location of said'earcupalternatively a 4 away from or toward the shell.

2. An adjustable earcup suspension as in claim 1 wherein there is aresilient pad between the earcup and the interior of the shell, I

3. An adjustable earcup suspension as in claim 1 wherein the universaljoint is a ball and socket joint having a ball member of said jointmounted on said threaded stud.

4. An adjustable earcup suspension as in claim 1 wherein said otherelement of the locking assembly is a lockingcollar and there is athreaded engagement between said locking collar and the connectingsection of said locking assembly.

5. An adjustable earcup suspension as in claim 1 wherein said earcup,said universal joint, said locking assembly and said adjusting knob areconcentrically disposed on said shell.

6. An adjustable earcup suspension as in claim 1 wherein the adjustingknob is smaller in size than the lock collar whereby to enable relativeindependent adjustment of the earcup in directions laterally of andtoward and away from said shell.

7. An adjustable earcup suspension as in claim 4 wherein there is a lockfinger on said one element of the locking assembly in anchoredengagement with the shell whereby to secure said one element againstrotation by said locking collar.

1. An adjustable earcup suspension for mounting on a protective helmetshell comprising an earcup having one joint member of a universal jointdisposed therein, a threaded stud including the other joint member ofsaid joint, fastening means holding said joint members in operatingassociation, said shell having a clearance recess in axial alignmentwith said earcup, a locking assembly having one element overlying theinterior of the shell, a connecting section of cross-sectional sizesmaller than said recess extending through said recess and anotherelement of said assembly overlying the exterior of the shell inadjustable engagement with said connecting section for adjustably fixingthe position of the earcup relative to the center of the recess, anadjusting knob rotatably mounted on the exterior of the locking assemblyand a threaded connection between the adjusting knob and said supportingstud whereby to adjustably shift the location of said earcupalternatively away from or toward the shell.
 2. An adjustable earcupsuspension as in claim 1 wherein there is a resilient pad between theearcup and the interior of the shell.
 3. An adjustable earcup suspensionas in claim 1 wherein the universal joint is a ball and socket jointhaving a ball member of said joint mounted on said threaded stud.
 4. Anadjustable earcup suspension as in claim 1 wherein said other element ofthe locking assembly is a locking collar and there is a threadedengagement between said locking collar and the connecting section ofsaid locking assembly.
 5. An adjustable earcup suspension as in claim 1wherein said earcup, said universal joint, said locking assembly andsaid adjusting knob are concentrically disposed on said shell.
 6. Anadjustable earcup suspension as in claim 1 wherein the adjusting knob issmaller in size than the lock collar whereby to enable relativeindependent adjustment of the earcup in directions laterally of andtoward and away from said shell.
 7. An adjustable earcup suspension asin claim 4 wherein there is a lock finger on said one element of thelocking assembly in anchored engagement with the shell whereby to securesaid one element against rotation by said locking collar.